Where does “foghorn” come from?

foghorn (English) comes from English horn, from Middle English horn, from Old English horn, from Proto-West Germanic horn, from Proto-Germanic hurną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European ker- — army.

foghorn (English): A very loud low-pitched horn, used especially in...

Definitions

  1. A very loud low-pitched horn, used especially in...

Ancestry of “foghorn”, step by step

foghorn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English horn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhornA hard growth of keratin that protrudes from the...
2Middle EnglishhornA horn; A jutting or projecting extremity of...
3Old Englishhornhorn; gable
4Proto-West Germanichornhorn
5Proto-Germanichurnąhorn
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
7Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
8Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

via English fog

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfogA thick cloud that forms near the ground; the...
2Proto-Germanicfeukanąto whisk; blow
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpug-billow, bulge, drift
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpew-to blow, breathe; to fear; to blow, to breathe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker-Every word from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-